Lee Does it All in Blowout Win Over Marlins

On the mound, he was as sharp as ever, striking out 14 over eight innings in the Phillies 12-2 win over the Miami Marlins. With those strikeouts, Lee reached the 200-strikeout plateau for the third consecutive season.

At the plate, Lee went 3-for-4, a triple included, with a career high four RBI. He’s the first Phillies pitcher to knock in four runs in a game since Robert Person in 2002.

Lee is also the one of just five pitchers in the last 30 years to have three or more hits and four or more RBI in a game. The others: Dwight Gooden ’85, Kirk Rueter ’00, Bronson Arroyo ’06, Micah Owings ’07. And none of them happened to strike out 14 batters.

Basically everyone else wearing red followed Cliff’s lead. Chase Utley hit a three-run homer and Darin Ruf also went yard. For Utley, that was number 17. For Ruf, number 14. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Ruf this offseason. The power is clearly there, but can he do that over 600 at-bats at the major league level? He continues to impress.

What’s most impressive is how Lee just keeps on going. It was one of the most complete performances of the season by a pitcher

Whatever – You totally missed my point. Of course, he was awesome in 2009. But people are making the guy out to be a God or something and to make such a big deal out of his dominating a team such as the 2013 Miami Marlins is pretty funny actually.

Well he just dominated the 2013 Atlanta Braves as well…. so it’s not just the Miami Marlins. I like playing and watching baseball period. And watching Cliff Lee play the game is fun whether we’re 19 games in front or 20 games behind. And that dude is good … real good at the game of baseball!

True, the Marlins are pretty bad, but the even against bad teams the combination of pitching and hitting last night was pretty remarkable. Also, by any meaningful measure, since returning in 2011 Lee has been one of the handful of best pitchers in baseball.

4th in fWAR
5th in innings
5th in ERA
4th in FIP
1st in xFIP
1st in SIERA

Game 2 of the 2011 NLDS was extremely frustrating and disappointing, and even more so because he’s so good. But while his record isn’t god-like, it’s pretty close, and again, what he did last night was very rare, and fun to watch.

Anytime Robert Person gets mentioned in a game recap, it was a good night. Remember the Sunday afternoon that Person hit a grand slam, a three-run homer, and then missed a second slam by a few feet? (6/2/2002). That’s Steve Jeltz power right there.

I remember back in the early 70’s when four out of five nights we went into the game doubtf ul if we could win. But on the fifth night when lefty was pitching, we knew if we had a decent offensive performance we had a win. That’s how I feel now about Cliff and Cole. I hope these guys can bottle this up for next year. And if we can find some decent complements

I feel the same way, Joe… at this point, there’s too much to worry about in the lineup so if we want to win now, we have to go for it with pitching. Right now, we have two guys that are capable of winning on any given night (it took Cole a while but he’s there); if we had a third, that would be our best shot because there are huge holes across the diamond that will be tough to fill (shortstop, third base, right field, catcher and who knows what we’re getting at first base). I honestly think we let our youth get experience and go for it with our pitching in 2013. We should be able to add a pitcher or two in the off season… there will be a lot of guys out there like Ricky Nolasco and Scott Baker who are certainly better options at the back end of our rotation than what we’ve got and if we can get that impact #3 starter, we’ve got three guys that can win on any given night. The real issue will be finding a legitimate #3 because there aren’t too many top of the rotation guys out there on the free agent market (at least none without baggage). Ubaldo Jimenez will likely make himself available… Josh Johnson will be a free agent… Matt Garza, Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, Ervin Santana, Johan Santana… that’s what we have to choose from.

We should go for it with our pitching in 2014… not 2013… we are already dead in 2013.

I just hope and pray that Ryan Howard works his tail off this off season. We really can’t afford him not to… he has to drop some weight (lay off the foot longs) and get his lower half right – his knees, achilles, hips – they all have to be stronger and better conditioned. If I was Ryne Sandberg, I would be on him like a fly on wax paper… gotta make sure the big piece takes his job seriously.

OCP, I don’t really get the last point — is there any reason to think he hasn’t taken it seriously in the past? I guess I don’t remember him ever coming to camp out of shape, other than when his achilles injury prevented him from doing more.

In discussions of potential 2014 starters., this message lists a few folks who answer to that particular role call. You have to believe this list of names yields to reality and are simply qualifiers by contract ends. I mean Josh isn’t totally ridiculous, in fact, if Doc were still here, Josh would be pumped at the possibility. Two reclamation projects at once’d be a bit much, so cue Aretha, and “Ain’t No Way”. Let’s just say it would make more sense than Johan.

And perhaps also listed, but not endorsed is one of my mainest men of since AD replaced BC on Hallmark calendars in Tim Lincecum.

You’ll hear just about a daily dose from one Phillie fan or another about Timmy landing with the Phils next year.

It’s fun when facts are intertwined with rumor. It’s a fact that that rumor is as dead as a 0 pulse would allow.

TL was an obvious trade candidate through trade season. The Giants were fading as fast as the Phils, and TL stayed in orange and black. I can’t even say that Sabean shopped him any more than Ruben did Mike Young. It’s possible, and wasn’t offered enough to supercede the first round pick he’d get by issuing a declined QO of 14 mil. But he knows he’s gonna get that pick IF he opts not to give Timmy the multiple years that at one time were a foregone conclusion.

If you’re Lincecum, 14 mil’s not a bad price to haul in while continuing to rebuild value. IF that is all the Giants offer, instead of multiple years, while TL MIGHT take it, you have to at least believe he’ll go somewhere else, and get around that 14 mil for at least 2 years, and MAYBE more. But you always have to ask yourself what’s the lure of playing for the Phils. For Doc and Cliff it was because this had become New York South, and a potential dynasty. That’s not the case now. Some players might have long lost family in Rydal they miss, but Lincecum’s a west coast guy. So you’d have to figure there’s preference there. So for the Phils to figure as a player, you have to figure 2-3 years at 18-20 mil MINIMUM, and that’s something Giant fans would hold the door open for Lincecum and say see ya.

Pinpointing a guess on what city Lincecum gets his next haircut in is tough. Especially since haircuts on the road are a good way to pass time. But the chances of the Phils overpaying, which strikes as a mandatory requirement seem less than fractional, and still might not be enough. If I had to guess, Timmy stays a Giant, and for more than 1 year, 3 would freak me out. He’ll get less than he’s been getting, but still a nice chunk of change. And for a guy who cited the back of the uniform when he was a recent World Series hero, taking that cut will further endear him to a city of terrific baseball fans. No way he’s a Phillie.

I would say with the confidence of near factual certainty that the Phils will make a play for David Price over the winter. Any conversations may not get past square 1, but the subject will be discussed between meaningful officials from both clubs. Obviously, the Phils would need to give up what would seem like (and more than 50-50 wind up being the case) a substantial total of talent, and it’s questionable how close they come to having that inventory, but there’s no doubt they will explore this. When I say no doubt, and the confidence of certainty, it’s from the same chapter as when I was positive Carlos Beltran would be a mid year acquisition in 2010. I love pointing out when I’m wrong, and just keep on marchin’ when fate matches expectations.

No, Tampa Bay is not anxious to trade Price. Clearly, however, they have exercised vision of expense versus a non supportive market for soon to be expensive talent. And they do it before the fact. They traded Garza, who was going to get expensive, they dealt Shields a full year ahead of his free agency. Price is arb eligible in 2014, and free agent eligible in 2016.

What could/would the Phils give up? It’s silly to speculate on it. Put it this way, with multiple holes, and a pressing need to avoid 3 bad years in a row, there is a very good chance the Phillies will move a player that either Bob Ryan level shocks, or just short of that level the fan base. There are so few players in the organization that are untouchable for the right name that you don’t need a full set of upper extremities to count them up. Three quality lefties, assuming Cliff has another full good year left, which is a little cold to say after he’s refound his fire of late would certainly make for a club to consider for ’14, although as the chances of such a deal, or one of this magnitude are iffy, it remains pessimist controlled as to how next year goes.

Sure. The confidence of near fatctual certainty is used to reflect the opinion that I really believe it will happen.

Just like your use of the word dude in the context it was used inspires the confidence of near factual certainy seeming overweightedly appropriate to draw the conclusion that an imbecile would refer to someone with multiple times your experience as dude. It doesn’t necessarily make you an imbecile, but math and logic allow for conclusions of 1+1 making my impression of you to be what it is.

Nice lineup tonight. No real easy outs, rather see Asche at third and Galvis play short, but it’s not like this is anything close to drastically inferior. This is about as close to this roster can offer as it’s best foot forward, and it’s not terrible. Hopefully, Doc blocks out all the negativity, which include his results, and throws his best game of the month. I’d like to think he’s got a best game of part 2 of his season before the season ends, and The Fish provide an opponent to achieve that.

It’d be sweet to get 7 innings of 2 walk baseball. Maybe that’d be super sweet. But it doesn’t strike as a crazy far fetched goal.